Fence



(No Model.)

H. C. PRATT.

FENCE. No. 424,498. Patented Apr. 1, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

HENRY C. PRATT, OF CANANDAIGUA, NEVVYORK.

FENCE.

SPECFICATION forming part of LettersrPatent No. 424,498, dated April l, 1890.

Application filed May 20, 1889.

Serial No. 311,409. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

`Be it known that I, HENRY C. PRATT, of Canandaigua, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved wire-fence post or stay, by means of which a fence canbe easily and rapidly put up or taken down at slight cost.

The invention therefore consists in a post or stay having certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, to be hereinafter described, and pointed out particularly in the claims at the end ot this specification. l

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a fence employing posts or stays constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one of the posts or stays. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the top of One of the stakes constituting the base of the post and the attached post. Fig. 4 is an edge View, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective of one of the pivoted hooks, and Fig. 6 a similar view of one of the stationary hooks from the inside. Fig. V7 is a horizontal section of the stay or post.

Similar letters of reference in the several iigures indicate the same parts.

The posts or stays, as the case may be, the construction of each being similar, are preferably formed of straight strips A, preferably of wood or other light material of the requisite strength and of such length as to extend from the top to the bottom Wires of the fence. On one side of each strip A are rigidly secured a series of hooks B, the points bx of which are turned back beyond the edge of the strip to prevent the accidental escape of the wire when the sta-y is at right angles thereto, the entrance of the Wire being permitted by turning or twisting the points of the hooks sidewise from the strip, as illustrated clearly in Fig. 4, wherein it will be seen that by turning the stay at an angle or with its side toward the wire, catching each l wire in its hook, then turning the stay out to normal position again, each wire will be held securely within its hook, and cannot escape until the stay is again turned to one side. Now, in order to prevent the stay being accidentally thus turned back so as to release the wires, a hook D is pivoted on the opposite side of the stay, which is adapted, when the stay is in position, to be caught over one of the Wires, as shown clearly in- Fig. 2.

W'ere the hook D made of such length as 'to easily pass over its wire there might be dangerof its accidental release, and in order to prevent such a mishap a small oblique notch or depression d2 (that is to say, deeper on one side than the other) is formed in the edge of the stay adjacent said hook, into which the wire may be sprung as the hook is passed over the same, the tension of the remaining wires preventing the stay from turning in this direction, as they Will takeabearing against the flat edge. To further increase the security in this direction, the hook itself is provided with a somewhat deeper recess at (l.

Vhen the support is adapted for use as a post, suitable stakes E are driven into the ground at theproper intervals on theline of the fence, each being provided with one or more turn-bolts F, having the curved'T-heads f, which pass through corresponding slots in the post, and are adapted to draw the post and stake firmly together When given a halfturn. In lieu of one 0f the turn-bolts on Va low fence, a simple projection Gr may be employed to prevent the sidewise movement of the post, the other turn-bolt being ample to bind the post and stake together. When thus employed as posts, they are applied to the Wires and then secured to the stakes, as vthe stays are necessarily turned slightly to get the wiresin place.

The preferred form of hook adapted to be permanently and rigidly attached to one side of the stay is shown in Fig. 6, and consists of abase portion B and a hook portion b, with lugs or projections b2 on the inside of the base portion, to prevent the turning of the hook when fastened by a single screw passing through the central opening b3, as shown. The forward projection b is preferably dat or wedge shape, and is adapted to rest against IOL the front edge of the stay to properly position the hook thereon for the reception of the wire. The hook portion itself is, as before stated, twisted or bent outward, as shown, to facilitate the entrance of the wire. The pivoted hooks, only one of which is preferably employed on each stay, is shown in Fig. 5, wherein it will be seen that, instead of providing lugs or projections on the inside, such side is made straight and smooth toobtain a broad bearing against the surface of the stay, and is provided with an extension d on the side of the pivot opposite to the hook, to afford an additional bearing and security against alldanger of the hooks being pulled off sidewise by rough handling, either in transit or when in position on the fence.

It is obvious that all of the supports need not be provided with slots for the T-heads of the turn-bolts, and, if desired, the stays may be used in connection with other posts than those herein described, or the lower ends driven directly into the ground, and while I have described my invention with reference to specific forms of mechanical devices it is obvious that such devices can be considerably. changed and modified without departing from the spirit of my invention-as, for instance, the stripand stationary hooks, instead of being fastened together, may be made in oneV piece-and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. A post or stay for wire fences, having a series of wire-retaining hooks secured rigidly to one side, with the hook portion substantially in line with the edge, and a pivoted wire-retaining hook on the opposite side, whereby a space is left between the opposite hooks and the twisting of the post or stay wit-h relation to the wires is prevented, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a stay provided with` a series of hooks for retaining the wires of afence and having slots, as shown, of astake having one or more turn-bolts with T-heads adapted to securing the strips and stakes together, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a fence post or stay, the combination, with the strip, of the series of hooks rigidly mounted on one side thereof, with the end turned back beyond the edge of the strip, and

the pivoted hook on the opposite side of said strip for retaining the strip in the proper angular position with relation to the wire, substantially as described.

4. In a fence post or stay, the combination, with the strip, of the series of hooks mounted on one side thereof, with the ends of the hooks twisted or bent away from the side of the stay to permit of the entrance of the wires when the stay is turned at an angle thereto, and to prevent the escape of such wires when the stay is turned back to normal position, substantially as described.

5. In a fence postor stay, the combination, with the strip, of a series of hooks mounted on one side thereof, with the ends of the hooks turned back beyond the edge of the strip and bent away from the side thereof to ypermit of the entrance of the wire, as described, and the pivoted hook on the opposite side to prevent the turning of the stay, substantially as described.

6. The combination,with the hook D,having the recess d, of the stay or post provided with a notch for receiving the wire, said notch being located in front of the point at which the hook is pivoted, substantially as described.

7. In a fence post or stay, the combination, with the strip and the series of Wire-retaining hooks mounted on one side thereof, of the pivoted hook on the opposite side, said strip being provided with a notch adjacent said pivoted 'hook to permit of the wire being sprung in under the same, substantially as described.

8. In a fence postor stay, the combination, with the strip and the series of wire-retaining hooks mounted on one side thereof, of the pivoted hook on thev opposite side, said strip being provided with a notch cut obliquely from the stationary hook to the pivoted hook, with the deepest side adjacent the pivoted hook to permit of the wire being sprung in under the saine, substantially as described.

9. A hook for wire-fence posts or stays, having the base with the projections orlugs thereon and the hook portion twisted or bent out of the plane of such base, substantially as described.

H. C. PRATT. Witnesses:

FRANK A. DE GRAFF, RALPH M. WILLIAMS.

IOO 

